Locomotive stoker



INVENTOR E. A. TURNER LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Sepia. 17,

1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. l, 1933.

Aug. 1', 1933. E. A. TURNER LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed sept. 17, w28 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 1, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCOMOTIV E STOKER Application September 17, 1928 Serial No. 306,297

Claims.

This invention relates to locomotive stokers of the type in which fuel is conveyed from the locomotive tender to an opening in the locomotive iirebox, there to be distributed over the fire 5 in aerial paths.

In devices of this kind in existing practice, in which the fuel is scattered over the flrebox by a pressure fluid, usually a steam blast, much diiliculty is encountered in obtaining a complete combustion of the fuel, especially that of the finer particles. Ordinarily in this type of stoker the fuel is delivered on to the distributing steam blast which due to its conical shape and intensity creates more or less surging or uplifting action of the lighter particles of fuel. The point of distribution in many instances being through an opening in the backhead in close proximity to the rapidly moving gases leaving the combustion particles of fuel which have been thrown upward by the distributing blast are within the path of the escaping gases which due to their high velocities will carry off the lighter and smaller particles of fuel unconsumed, resulting in a loss and waste of fuel and creating objectionable smoke and cinders which are unpleasant and harmful.

It is the principal object of this invention to achieve increased economy of locomotive operation by providing a stoker arranged to convey the fuel without materially crushing or pulverizing it to a point of distribution exterior ofthe flrebox, there to be distributed over the firebed through an opening in the backwall by an improved fuel scattering means so disposed as to prevent loss of the smaller particles of fuel."

Further objects of the invention are the provision of` a simplified, lightened and compact stoker, comprising few working parts and one which occupies a minimum of space within the locomotive cab and which can be rapidly and inexpensively installed to existing types of locomotives.

Other objects and desirable advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary central longitudinal vertical section through the improved stoker and associated portions on the locomotive and tender;

Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 1 with the firebox backwall in section on a plane taken through the firing opening;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figure 4;

Fig, 4 is a fragmentary enlarged central vertichamber, it follows that much `of the lighterl cal section of the distributor head of Figure 1 with its associated parts;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed plan section on the line-5 5 of Figure 1, and Y Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing a modified form of distributor head.

On the drawings referring particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the stoker improvement in this invention is illustrated as applied to a locomotive generally indicated at l0, and a tender therefor, indicated as a Whole at 11', the two being connected together in the ordinary manner by a coupling 12. This application of my invention being made for the purpose of mechanically conveyinga stream of fuel Without materially crushing or pulverizing it, from the fuel bin 13 of the tender to a delivery receptacle or nozzle, indicated as a whole at 14, which nozzle is in communication with the lower portion of a firing opening 15 in the backwall 16 of the rebox 17,

and from the nozzle the fuel is projected into the firebox and distributed over the grates 18 thereof by a pressure uid distributing blast issuing from the distributor head 19, and cooperatingwith a distributorplate 20, the fuel being delivered at such a rate as to compensate for the combustion of the fuel within the iirebox.

The fuel bin 13 of the tender has a floor 21 which is provided in the ordinary manner with shiftable plates 22 for closing or partially closing the opening through which the fuel is allowed to drop down into the rear or trough portion 23 of a conveying system which is suitably secured to the tender and is connected by a universal joint24 with a forward telescoping tubular conduit section, indicated as a whole at 25, which has its opposite end connected with the universal joint 26 to the nozzle 14 at the rearward end of its forwardly curved elbow or receptacle portion 27 and preferably below the floor or deck 28 of the cab 29. The nozzle is suitably supported on the locomotive as by bracket 30 to the firebox backwall 16 and by any suitable bolts through its flanges 31, 31a as best shown in Figure 2.

The hood portion of the fuel nozzle 14, forming a discharge mouth 32, hereinafter referred to more in detail, extends horizontally forward to the opening 15 of the backwall and is open to and in communication with the lower part of said opening. Above the nozzle 14 any form of cover or door 52 may be provided to form a closure for the opening 15, which may be opened for hand firing of the fuel or for observation of the fire. The door 52 as shown is of the conventional form commonly known as the Butterfly Type llo " provided a plurality of independent steam cham-l bers 44, side by side inl a horizontal plane, each which is divided vertically into left and right hand sections.

Conveyor screw sections 33 and 34 are rotatably mounted within the conduit system, section 33 disposed within the trough portion of the conduit and the section 34 within the tubular portion of the conduit, its forward or Ydischarge end being free from obstructions and terminating at or in the vicinity of the receptacle portion of the nozzle 14. The two sections 33 and 34 are connected for articulation by the universal joint 35; and the conveyor screw as a whole may be automatically actuated as by the motor, indicated as a whole at 36 in Figure 2. Said driving motor is, preferably, securely supported on a locomotive tender in any suitable manner and is operatively connected with the screw conveyor system by the shaft 37 through suitable gearing at the rear end portion of the trough screw section as is wellknown in the art and not being shown in these drawings. A Crusher member 38 is positioned above the screw at the forward end of the trough for engagement with the larger lumps of fuel `being advanced by the screw and is adapted to reduce them to suitable size for delivery to the flrebox.

The fuel from the tubular conduit is received in and deflected forwardly and upwardly from the end of the screw conveyor by the curved receptacle portion of the nozzle 14 to the hood or mouth portion 32. The nozzle flares laterally, as it extends upwardly, from its circular ball joint end to form the desirable width 'of discharge mouth 32 through which the fuel can be most effectively discharged by the distributing means. Ahorizontally disposed hinge cover 39 formed by one or more hinged sections provides a top or closure for the mouth of the nozzle and may be of any height above the distributing means that will permit the unrestricted discharge of fuel through the discharge mouth. This cover may extend to or somewhat into the opening 15.

The distributing means which is a novel and important part of this invention comprises the distributing plate 20 and the distributor head 19, the plate 20 being connected at 40 at its rear side portions to the forward curved wall of the nozzle forward of the fuel delivered by the conveyor, the plate extending horizontally inward from the nozzle outside of the firebox through the firing opening 15 and the floor of the plate is substantially in line with the lower side of the mouth 32 of the nozzle. Abutment ribs 41, 41a together with the depressions or pockets 42, 42a disposed at the remote forward corners of the plate within the firebox direct a part of the fuel to the rear corners of the rebox, the central part of the plate being unobstructed to permit the fuel to be distributed over the remaining portion of the frebox grate. An aperture is provided in the upright side wall of the hood element of the nozzle 14 at its arcuate section rearward of the fuel delivered by the conveyor, to receive the distributor head 19,'which has laterally' projecting lugs 43, 43a adapted to receive bolts for `detachably securing the distributor head to the nozzle.

Referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5, the preferred construction of the distributor head is shown, in which the lower part of the distributor head is l, 'being supplied with steam froml its respective supply pipe as aty 45 and each pipe may have its own control valve, not shown. Steam for projecting the fuel through the discharge mouth of the nozzle issues from its chamber through one or more holes or jet openings 50 at its forward end. Preferably, these openings are given a downward inclination and are in alignment in a horizontal plane a sufficient height above the distributing plate 20 for discharging a downwardly inclined blast of steam against the fuel directing it on to the distributing plate 20 from which it is distributed over the firebox grates.

The distributor head 19 further includes a steam chamber 46 disposed above the chambers 44, and supplied with a pressure fluid, preferably steam from a supply pipe 51 which may also be provided with a valve for controlling the intensity of the blast emitting from the chamber through a plurality of jet openings 47, 47a disposed in pairs in vertical alignment and any suitable nurnber of pairs of openings may be placed laterally across the forward wall of the chamber in horizontal alignment. Preferably the holes or openings 47, 47a taper at their forward ends, therefore, the converging conical shaped jets of steam issuing from the openings will impinge directly forward of the front wall of their supply chamber 46 creating a laterally flattened horizontally directed blast of steam discharged over and above the distributing means and not interfering with its action, to form a protecting cover or sheet of steam over the fuel being projected and distributed over the rebed, thus preventing the smaller particles of fuel from rising into the path of the escaping gases.

In Figure 6 a modified form of distributor head 48 is shown in which the distributing blast issues from the head in the same manner as heretofore described in the form shown in Figure 4. but in this modied form a fuel covering blast or sheet of steam is formed by a plurality of holes or jet openings 49 comprising a row of openings across the forward wall of the upper part of the distributor head in substantially horizontal alignment. The holes are given an upward inclination to direct the conical shaped jets of steam against the cover 39, the impinging action creating a flattened horizontally directed blast issuing forwardly through the nozzle mouth 32 over and above the distributing means to form a protecting cover of steam for the lighter particles of fuel.

Inthe operation of this invention fuel will be conveyed from the fuel bin 13 of the tender forwardly in a short direct path and withoutunnecessarily pulverizing the fuel, to the receptacle elementI of the nozzle 14 from which the fuel will 130 rise or boil up from the end of the screw in .a very loose and free form forward of the distribut` ing head 19 and into the path of the downwardly inclined pressure fluid blast issuing therefrom, the'fu'el being thus directed downward and for- 135 -ward on to the distributing plate from which it is given direction and distributed over the fire. In many instances when the locomotive is not working with aheavy draft the downward inclination of the distributor steam blast will be sufci'ent to prevent the smaller particles of fuel from beingcarried off from the firebox unconsumed, however, in other cases when the locomotive is working with al heavy draft creating a 45 high velocity of ,escaping gases, it is desirable to use the fuel covering or protecting sheet of steam which issues from the distributorheadz19 'or 48 .over and above the distributing blast and which is underthe control of the reman independent of the distributing mast.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description to those skilled in this art, that this inven tion provides a stoker which conveys the fuel to the distributing means with little pulverizing pressure upon the fuel, other than that of reducing the larger lumps to suitable size for firing, and therefore delivers the minimum amount of diminutive particles of fuel to the fire, and one in which the loss of the lighter particles of fuel is reduced or obviated by the provision of a fuel covering blast which prevents diminutive sizes of fuel from being carried olf unconsumed by the rebox gases.

While this invention illustrates and describes the fuel covering sheet of steam as cooperating with a pressure fluid distributing means, it may also be used effectively with a mechanical or other form of distributor.

I claim:

1. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a delivery nozzle adapted for the discharge of fuel into a ilrebox, means for introducing fuel into the nozzle, means for discharging a blast against the fuel for projecting all the fuel from the nozzle and a fuel covering blast above said first named blast.

2. In a locomotive Stoker, in combination, a feed conveyor adapted for the delivery of fuel to a firebox, distributing means for projecting and distributing all the fuel over the fire, and means above said distributing means for discharging a steam blast to form a cover of steam over the fuel.

3. The method of distributing coal over a firebox which consists of delivering coal to the :lirebox at a point above the ilre and distributing all the fuel over the fire by a pressure fluid blast and preventing the loss of the smaller particles of coal by providing a laterally flattened covering sheet of steam above the distributing blast.

4. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a flrebox having a backwall with a firing opening therein, a fuel delivery nozzle communicating at its forward end with the lower portion of said jet openings for projecting the fuel delivered by said screw on to said distributing plate for distribution over the fire, and a plurality of jet openings in said distributor head independent of and above said rst named jet openings for discharging a laterally flattened blast of steam over said distributing plate above the fuel.

5. In combination with a rebox having a firing opening in its backwall, a nozzle having a horizontally disposed hood portion opening forwardly to communicatefith said firing opening and a lower elbow portion extending downwardly and rearwardly outside of the rebox, a distributor plate projecting into the frebox, a distributor head at the rear of said hood portion rearward of said firing opening having a forward face arranged to discharge a blast of fluid, an upwardly inclined conduit flexibly connected with said elbow portion of the nozzle and opening thereinto closely adjacent and directly beneath said distributor head below the plane of the distributor plate and slightly rearward of the forward face of said head, a conveyor screw in said conduit terminating at its forward end adjacent and beneath said distributor head, said screw arranged to advance fuel through said conduit into said elbow portion of the nozzle and constituting the sole means for urging the fuel upwardly in said elbow portion and delivering it rearward of said plate in loose segregated form from its forward end through said elbow portion of said nozzle without obstruction directly into the path of the blast of fluid from said distributor head, the blast of fluid from said distributor head arranged to impinge against the fuel as it rises from the lower portion of said nozzle and constituting the sole means for projecting the fuel.

E. ARCHER TURNER. 

